Machine for the packaging of objects

ABSTRACT

A packaging machine for assembling yogurt containers into twopacks includes an endless conveyor belt formed from hinged platelets some of which are integral with upstanding C-shaped brackets having perforated flanges parallel to and spaced from the conveyor surface. Cardboard blanks with foldable sections, designed to form a prismatic envelope for the beaded tops of a pair of containers, have one section provided with two holes which in a feeding operation come to register with respective perforations of two brackets supporting a blank. Two containers are then inserted into these holes from above, with the assistance of an overhanging inclined strip, so as to hang down by their beads into the spaces surrounded by the brackets while moving with the conveyor belt past a gluing station and a folding station, the latter imparting to the blank its prismatic shape. The resulting packages are cammed out of their brackets by a stationary ramp for deposition on a receiving table.

United States Patent Magnard et al.

[451 Dec. 19,1972

[54] MACHINE FOR THE PACKAGING OF OBJECTS [73] Assignee: The

Ohio

221 Filed: June 10,1970

[21 Appl.No.: 44,958

Mead-Corporation, Dayton,

[30 Foreign Application Priority Data June l3, 1969 France ..69l97l4 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1960 Arneson ..53/48 X 12/1959 Clapp ..53/48 X 2/1970 Focke ..53/49 Primary ExaminerTheron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Horace M. Culver Attorney-Karl F. Ross [57] ABSTRACT A packaging machine for assembling yogurt containers into two-packs includes an endless conveyor belt formed from hinged platelets some of which are integral with upstanding C-shaped brackets having perforated flanges parallel to and spaced from the conveyor surface. Cardboard blanks with foldable sections, designed to form a prismatic envelope for the beaded tops of a pair of containers, have one section provided with two holes which in a feeding operation come to register with respective perforations of two brackets supporting a blank. Two containers are then inserted into these holes from above, with the assistance of an overhanging inclined strip, so as to hang down by their heads into the spaces surrounded by the brackets while moving with the conveyor belt past a gluing station and a folding station, the latter imparting to the blank its prismatic shape. The resulting packages are cammed out of their brackets by a stationary ramp for deposition on a receiving table.

10 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENTED on: 191912 3. 70s; 1 78 SHEET 1 BF 7 P'A'TENTED DEC 19 m2 SHEEI 2 BF 7 9 em 3 mm 3 PATENTED use 19 I972 SHEET 3 OF 7 PATENTEDBE: 1 9 I972 SHEEI 5 OF 7 mum mOT

PATENTEDnEc 19 I972 sum 6 or 7 y l L I BE i PATENTED DEC 19 m2 SHEET 7 BF 7 MACHINE FOR THE PACKAGING OF OBJECTS The invention relates to a machine for the packaging of yogurt containers or the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide such a machine with automatic means for continuously operating same at high speed and in a simple and dependable manner for the packaging of mass-produced articles such as yogurt containers.

The machine according to the invention comprises downstream of a device for feeding the articles to be packaged, means for passing these articles down a line along which are disposed means for positioning folding members and closing (e.g. gluing) the cardboard blank designed to form a carton for these articles.

According to another aspect of the invention, the machine comprises a simple moving chain or conveyor belt controlling the operations of feeding in the containers, putting the blanks in place, folding the blanks, closing same and discharging the completed packages.

The invention will be fully understood from the description which follows given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view in perspective of a machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the said machine;

FIG. 4 is a schematic top plan view of an endless belt for the machine according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a bracket serving as a container support for the machine according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a section of the container support taken along the line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view of a packaging blank adapted to be used in the machine according to the invention;

FIG. 7a is a schematic view in perspective of a package obtained by use of the machine according to the invention;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a device for the folding of the blank;

FIG. 9 is a front view of another embodiment of the machine according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of two juxtaposed brackets as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view, drawn to a larger scale, of the structure shown at upper right in FIG. 2.

Reference will first be made to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8. The machine according to the invention for the packaging of yogurt containers or the like comprises a frame 10 supporting a working table 11 which carries, with the interpositioning of a plate of plastic material (not shown), an endless conveyor belt 12 whose guiding members comprise wheels 13 and 14 placed beneath the table 1 l.

The conveyor belt 12 preferably comprises a series of hingedly interconnected platelets 15 (FIG. 4) and includes positive drive means therefor in the form of a motor 16 linked with wheel 14 by a transmission belt 17. Such a transport mechanism is known, for example, under the name Brampton conveyor belt."

According to the invention, some of the plates 15 of the belt 12, for example one out of every two plates, carries a support 18 for a container to be packaged, preferably a C-shaped bracket (FIGS. 5, 6 and 1 l) with a solid lower horizontal flange or leg 19 fixed to a plate 15, for example by riveting, and an upper horizontal flange or leg 20 having an opening 21 matingly receiving the peripheral surface of the containers P to be packaged.

The belt 12 with its supports 18 is designed to carry containers to be packaged from one end of the table 1 l to the other and is fed by a device 22 comprising a guide 23 on which the containers are aligned one behind the other and an endless chain 28 for moving these containers in succession from an inlet, connected to a container filling machine, to an outlet of the guide 23 where the containers are taken one after another between the teeth 24 of a toothed wheel 25 (FIG. 3) which moves them along an arcuate transfer path onto which they are guided by means of a pivot brush 26 and a slide 27, to a location above the supports 18 provided, by a mechanism which will be described more in detail hereinbelow, with a blank F preferably formed of cardboard and of the type shown in FIG. 7.

The rectangular blank F is transversely divided into a series of segments E, G, H, I, K, M, segment E having two or more openings 0 for mating engagement with the containers by the several blank segments are adapted to form, after folding, a hollow prismatic of member rectangular cross-section with an imperforate upper panel (section H) and a lower panel (section B) for engaging the containers by their peripheral beads P with which they are provided (see FIG. 7a).

In the vicinity of the inlet end of the belt 12 we provide a device 30 for feeding the cardboard blanks F, comprising a supporting cage 31 for a stack of such blanks and a rocker 32 with pivotable arms operated by a cam 33. The end of one of the rocker arms carries suction means, preferably vacuum controlled, for leading the blanks one by one between rubber rollers 34, 35 which position the blanks on the upper legs 20 of the supports 18 on the belt 12. These supports 18 are provided with lugs 20 FIG. 11) which assure the positioning of the blank so that the openings 0 of the blank coincide with the openings 21 of the upper legs 20 thereof.

Immediately downstream of the rubber rollers 34, 35 a marking device 36 is provided which includes a rotatingly driven segment on which is engraved a date intended to be printed on the carton, for example the date before which the products contained therein should be consumed.

According to the invention, there is provided at the inlet end and above the belt 12 an inclined strip 40 which, upon the displacement of the containers in the direction indicated by the arrow f introduces them into openings 0 of aligned blanks riding on the brackets 18 of the belt. If desired, tongues L partially covering the openings 0 (as shown by the chain-dotted lines in FIG. 7) may be severed in this process so as to project outwardly from the package, e.g. to display an advertisement, after the containers have been packaged. A microswitch S cooperating with the inclined strip 40, which may be a relatively flexible metal plate senses any deflection of that strip due to improper placement of a container in the support 18 and thereupon causes a temporary stopping of the machine.

At a small distance from the end of the inclined plane 40, according to a further feature of our invention, a device 43 above the supports 18 and fixed to the table 11 by angle-irons 42 (FIGS. 1 and 8), serves for the folding of the cardboard blanks. The device 43 comprises angled folding arms or deflectors 44 constructed and arranged to effect the folding over of the panels or segments 0,11 and I of the blank during its movement in the direction of the arrow f, and a guide groove 45 for bringing into contact the folded-over portion on the end panel K and a tongue M of blank F previously coated by a conventional adhesive-applying device 46 (FIGS. l-3), preferably a Bostik type-C2W gluing device, using a quick-drying adhesive.

Toward the end of the belt 12 a ramp 47 lifts the packaged containers out of the openings 21 of brackets 18, depositing them on the sloping entrance end 49 of a receiving table 49.

The operation is as follows:

The motor 16 drives by the transmission belt 17 the wheel 14 for advencing the endless belt 12 which transmits its movement to the wheel 13. The shaft 50 of the wheel 13 carries a gear wheel 51 meshing with a gear wheel 52 which in turn meshes with a gear wheel 53 keyed to a shaft 54. Two pinions 55 and 56 keyed to the shaft 54 drive, by the intermediary of respective transmissions 57 and 58, a shaft 59 carrying the control cam 33 of the cardboard-blank feeding device and a wheel 60 keyed to a shaft 61 which also carries a pulley 62 for driving the rollers 34, 35 and the marking section 36 as well as a pulley 63 for advancing the endless chain 28 on which are placed the containers P in the device 22. The shaft 61 also drives the toothed wheel 25 by means of pulleys 64, 65 and bevel gears not shown.

A cam (not shown) is fixed to the shaft 54 for controlling the pneumatic device for discharging the cardboard blanks into the belt 12.

Beneath the table 11 are housed various auxiliary components of the machine such as a vacuum pump, switches and means for controlling and heating the gluing device 46.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 9 and relating to an alternative embodiment. In this embodiment the containers to be packaged are fed by gravity from a loading device 102 which faces a support 103 for the packaging blanks. A longitudinal belt 104, on which are mounted supports for the receptacles P to be packaged, is intermittently advenced through the intermediary of a gear-motor unit 109 which drives a camshaft 110 controlling in turn, through the intermediary of levers and rollers, the positioning of the cardboard blanks, by a member 112 operating in steps with the movement of the belt 104.

With the step-by-step displacement of the belt 104, angled folding arms or deflectors (not shown), similar to those of the preceding embodiment, assure the folding of the cardboard blank and a glue applicator 108, similar to that of the previous embodiment, disposes along the sides of the cardboard blanks a film of adhesive which assures the closing of the package in a manner described hereinabove.

We claim:

1. A packaging machine for assembling a'plurality of upright containers with peripherally beaded tops into a unit, comprising:

endless conveyor means forming a horizontal transport surface;

a plurality of supports rigid with said conveyor means rising from said surface, each of said supports having a perforated horizontal flange spacedly overlying said surface;

feed means synchronized with said-conveyor means for supplying to said support a succession of blanks of sheet material with segments foldable into a prismatic envelope, said segments including two major panels forming top and bottom walls of said envelope, one of said major panels being provided with a plurality of holes and coming to rest on the horizontal flanges of a plurality of supports in a position of alignment of said holes with respective perforations of said flanges;

loading means for delivering to said supports a succession of containers and inserting same from above into the aligned holes and perforations whereby each container hangs down by its beaded top from one of said flanges with interposition of said one of said major panels;

adhesive-application means for said blanks disposed downstream of said loading means along the path of said conveyor means; and

folding means for said blanks positioned along said path for co-operation with said adhesive-application means.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said loading means includes a guide member overhanging said path, said guide member having a downwardly sloping underside for forcing said containers into said aligned holes and perforations.

3. A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said loading means further includes a transport element positively advancing said containers beneath said sloping underside.

4. A machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said transport element comprises a toothed wheel rotatable in a horizontal plane.

5. A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said guide member is a strip upwardly deflectable by an improperly inserted container, further comprising switch means responsive to upward deflection of said strip to arrest said conveyor means.

6. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor means comprises a belt formed from hinged platelets, said supports being mounted on certain of said platelets.

7. A machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said supports are generally C-shaped brackets.

8. A machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising stationary ramp means disposed at a discharge end of said conveyor means for lifting oncoming containers out of said supports.

9. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said folding means comprises stationary deflecting elements engageable with certain of said segments.

10. A machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising marking means for said blanks ahead of said feed means. 

1. A packaging machine for assembling a plurality of upright containers with peripherally beaded tops into a unit, comprising: endless conveyor means forming a horizontal transport surface; a plurality of supports rigid with said conveyor means rising from said surface, each of said supports having a perforated horizontal flange spacedly overlying said surface; feed means synchronized with said conveyor means for supplying to said support a succession of blanks of sheet material with segments foldable into a prismatic envelope, said segments including two major panels forming top and bottom walls of said envelope, one of said major panels being provided with a plurality of holes and coming to rest on the horizontal flanges of a plurality of supports in a position of alignment of said holes With respective perforations of said flanges; loading means for delivering to said supports a succession of containers and inserting same from above into the aligned holes and perforations whereby each container hangs down by its beaded top from one of said flanges with interposition of said one of said major panels; adhesive-application means for said blanks disposed downstream of said loading means along the path of said conveyor means; and folding means for said blanks positioned along said path for cooperation with said adhesive-application means.
 2. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said loading means includes a guide member overhanging said path, said guide member having a downwardly sloping underside for forcing said containers into said aligned holes and perforations.
 3. A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said loading means further includes a transport element positively advancing said containers beneath said sloping underside.
 4. A machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said transport element comprises a toothed wheel rotatable in a horizontal plane.
 5. A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said guide member is a strip upwardly deflectable by an improperly inserted container, further comprising switch means responsive to upward deflection of said strip to arrest said conveyor means.
 6. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor means comprises a belt formed from hinged platelets, said supports being mounted on certain of said platelets.
 7. A machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said supports are generally C-shaped brackets.
 8. A machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising stationary ramp means disposed at a discharge end of said conveyor means for lifting oncoming containers out of said supports.
 9. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said folding means comprises stationary deflecting elements engageable with certain of said segments.
 10. A machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising marking means for said blanks ahead of said feed means. 